RADIO
Thunder Dan Palyo examines which players to take in each stage of your draft that can help you win multiple categories in your 2025-26 fantasy basketball leagues.
The worst term we can use for a player in fantasy basketball is "hollow." I'm talking about category leagues here, as someone who collects enough counting stats can be quite useful in points leagues. I don't play in points leagues, and you probably know that by now if you've read any of my content before.
Whether you are playing in a H2H or Roto format, you're going to want to draft as many players as you can who can contribute in multiple categories. We want to avoid "hollow" players who are only going to contribute in categories where stats are plentiful. We can always find stats like points and rebounds on the waiver wire. Steals, blocks, and assists are always much tougher to come by.
Here are some of my favorite multi-category contributors to target at various points in your draft.
Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.
Peripheral Monsters: Early Round Targets
Jalen Williams, SF/PF - Oklahoma City Thunder
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 24
- Current Yahoo Rank: 25
- Strongest Categories: PTS, AST, STL
The latest news about "J-Dub" is that his recovery from wrist surgery could cause him to miss opening night. However, there has not been any reporting of any complications, and it could be that the team is just being extra cautious with one of their bright young stars. Let's face it, it's a long season, and the Thunder have more depth than most NBA teams, which is just one of the reasons that they are the favorites to repeat as NBA champions.
Even small injuries with short recovery periods tend to push down players' ADP if the news comes out during draft season. If managers are going to skip over Williams in the late second or early third round, snap him up and don't think twice.
I didn't include Williams in my article on efficiency artists, and I heard about it from some of his supporters! He absolutely deserves to be mentioned in that conversation, as Williams was a net positive in FG%, while barely falling below league averages in FT% (78.9%) and turnovers (2.2). He's a true 9-CAT player who won't hurt you in any category.
We saw his steals tick back up to 1.6 per game last season, while he also added 1.8 threes and 0.7 blocks. Yes, SGA is going to eat first in OKC, but Williams averaged 21.6 points in his third season and added a career-high 5.1 assists, often helping to facilitate the offense as the Thunder lacks a true pass-first point guard.
Derrick White, PG/SG - Boston Celtics
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 34
- Current Yahoo Rank: 33
- Strongest Categories: THREES, BLK, AST, FT%, TO
Derrick White's spectacular 9-CAT game is no secret. Since coming to the Celtics in 2022, White has been a fantasy force and has taken his game to the next level. His last two seasons have been absolutely incredible, as he's managed to become one of the most efficient three-point assassins in the league while also blocking more than a shot per game and keeping his turnovers low.
Derrick White is about to have himself a season, more responsibility is a privilege and he’s up for it pic.twitter.com/VJEIVAbvkf
— RCsWorld (@RCsWrld) October 9, 2025
His statistical profile is one of the most unique in the NBA, and his out-of-position blocks are incredibly valuable to any team that wants to stack big men and pair them with efficient guards (hey, that's me!).
White nailed 3.5 treys last season while shooting 38.4% from behind the arc. He's also a career 85% free-throw shooter and has averaged just 1.4 turnovers per game over his eight years in the league.
Without Jayson Tatum in the lineup this season, many are looking to Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown to help pick up the slack for Boston. But White should also see some more shot attempts and some more assist opportunities as well.
Yes, I am drafting him at the peak of his value the last two years; however, I think there's still room for profit here with White having to take on a bigger role this season for the Tatum-less Celtics.
Trey Murphy III, SG/SF/PF - New Orleans Pelicans
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 27
- Current Yahoo Rank: 35
- Strongest Categories: THREES, FT%, PTS, STL, BLK
I've seen a lot of reasons put forth for why you shouldn't take Murphy this season. Whether it's the addition of Jordan Poole to steal usage or the return of Zion Williamson and eventually Dejounte Murray to take away shots and some touches, there's no doubt that the Pelicans are going to look different this season than they did when Murphy posted career-high stats across the board last year.
However, I really do think Murphy is the guy to roster in New Orleans. It's hard to trust Zion to stay healthy, and we don't know what we will get from Murray when he finally returns from an Achilles injury in January.
What we do know is that Murphy is a stone-cold killer from behind the arc, averaging 3.0 threes in each of the last two seasons. He was also excellent at the charity stripe last season, shooting 88.7% on 4.3 attempts per game. He offers the combination of a 20+ point scorer with fewer than two turnovers per game, while adding 4.8 combined threes/steals/blocks per game.
Trey is just entering his prime and can stuff the stuff sheet across the board. Don't hesitate to take him in the third round; he's poised for another big season in New Orleans.
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C - Memphis Grizzlies
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 31
- Current Yahoo Rank: 38
- Strongest Categories: BLK, STL, PTS, THREES
We have a slightly similar situation here with JJJ as we do with Jalen Williams. His return date from an injury hangs over him like a cloud, and it's likely depressing his ADP a bit. Jackson's injury is no joke, though, as he had to have surgery for turf toe, and the recovery from that injury can vary greatly from athlete to athlete.
But if things go well, Jackson is supposed to return only a few weeks into the season, and if he misses only 5 to 7 games with the injury, he is still going to have plenty of value due to his diverse skill set.
Jackson has averaged at least 1.4 blocks per game in each of his first six seasons. He led the NBA with 2.3 per game in 2022 and 3.0 in 2023.
While his blocks have come back down to the 1.5 range the last two seasons, he's increased his steals to 1.2 per game and averaged 2.0 made threes last year.
He can chip in everywhere, with assists being his only category where he's significantly below league average. With Desmond Bane gone, we could see more shots for Jackson, who posted 22 points per game in both of the last two seasons.
Peripheral Monsters: Middle-Round Targets
Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C - Atlanta Hawks
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 22
- Current Yahoo Rank: 47
- Strongest Categories: BLK, PTS, THREES, TO, FT%, FG%
I am pretty excited to see how Porzingis fits in alongside Trae Young in Atlanta. The fit there could be truly great, which is why I am willing to take a shot on him this year, despite the obvious injury concerns that continue to follow him throughout his career.
Porzingis has one of the most fantasy-friendly games of any big man; it's always just been a matter of staying healthy. He can provide threes and blocks in the same way that JJJ does, but with better rebounding and percentages. He's been dubbed "The Unicorn" for a reason; seven-footers who can do what he does on a basketball court are few and far between.
With the Hawks having a deep rotation and another really good big man in Onyeka Okongwu set to come off the bench, they likely have the flexibility to keep Porzingis in the high twenties with his minutes, which hopefully helps him stay on the floor for 60+ games this season. Honestly, 28 minutes a night is all we need from Porzingis for him to return third-round value.
Myles Turner, C - Milwaukee Bucks
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 49
- Current Yahoo Rank: 51
- Strongest Categories: BLK, THREES, REB, TO
Do you know how many NBA players knocked down at least two threes per game while also averaging 2.0 blocks or more? The answer is two. One of them was Myles Turner, while the other guy was Victor Wembanyama (who averaged 3.1 treys and 3.8 blocks!)
The Bucks, in a move to stay relevant and keep Giannis in town, paid Turner a lot of money this offseason. He's probably going to be asked to score more in Milwaukee than he was in Indiana, as the Bucks need shooters and more scoring around Giannis this season.
"I couldn't have thought of a better person that fits Giannis."
Doc is excited about Myles Turner. pic.twitter.com/ujTSurbHaH
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 13, 2025
We saw Brook Lopez flourish as a stretch-five playing alongside Giannis in the past. Turner has the opportunity to have a big year and can have a big impact in fantasy leagues with his 9-CAT-friendly stat profile.
OG Anunoby, SF/PF - New York Knicks
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 37
- Current Yahoo Rank: 72
- Strongest Categories: STL, BLK, THREES, TO
I could have included Anunoby in just about every piece of draft content this season. The guy is an awesome asset in 9-CAT with one of the most well-rounded games in fantasy hoops. He finished inside the top 40 last season and is still getting very little respect with his current rank or ADP.
I can tell you that he doesn't last beyond the fifth round in any expert drafts that I've done, because while he doesn't have one category that he dominates, he can help out in nearly every category without hurting you anywhere.
There has been some speculation that the Knicks' starters will see their minutes cut this year by new head coach Mike Brown. However, Anunoby is the one guy who I think is the least affected by the coaching change. He's the Knicks' best defender and the ultimate "glue guy" who is hard to take off the floor.
Anunoby is a great fit for any team; you won't regret drafting him at any time after the fourth round.
Peripheral Monsters: Late-Round Targets
Tari Eason, SF/PF - Houston Rockets
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 65
- Current Yahoo Rank: 101
- Strongest Categories: STL, BLK, TO
Eason enjoyed a semi-breakout last year in his third NBA season. He started 16 games for the Rockets and finally cracked 25 minutes per game, which is what we had been hoping for as Eason had flashed some insane per-minute defensive stats in his first few seasons.
Eason has dealt with his fair share of injuries as well, but when he's on the court, he's a solid fantasy asset. He continues to tease us with tantalizing upside in steals as he finished with 1.7 per game last year in just 25 minutes. He added 1.1 threes and 0.9 blocks, too, while only turning it over just 1.1 times per contest.
We don't know exactly what Eason's role in Houston will be this year, with Kevin Durant now starting at small forward. Jabari Smith Jr. could start at power forward, sliding Eason back to his super-sub role off the bench. But at a 25-minute bench role could still be enough for Eason to produce those threes, steals, and blocks we are looking for, and you could even argue it could potentially help his scoring as he could end up getting more shots up with the second unit (and fewer minutes alongside Durant).
Toumani Camara, SF/PF - Portland Trail Blazers
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 91
- Current Yahoo Rank: 120
- Strongest Categories: STL, TO, THREES
Camara is becoming a pretty popular sleeper, so I wouldn't plan on him being available around pick 120 in competitive leagues. We have a full season of production from him now with starters' minutes, and the results were very encouraging as he finished last year with 1.7 threes, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, and just 1.4 turnovers in 32.7 minutes per game.
He's entering his third year in the league, a year in which we see players break out quite often, so there's reason to believe he can improve on an already solid stat profile. He's a lot like OG Anunoby in that his game is built for 9-CAT; he doesn't lock down any categories but can boost your production across the board (with less scoring). He should have an opportunity in Portland this year to grow as a player, and his floor is already quite high thanks to his defense.
Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF - Minnesota Timberwolves
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 76
- Current Yahoo Rank: 122
- Strongest Categories: STL, BLK, TO
McDaniels played in all 82 games for the Wolves last season, posting career-highs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, and FT% during his fifth pro season. He's still just 25 years old and is poised for another big year in Minnesota as their lockdown defender and glue guy.
Watch Jaden McDaniels on this possession... pic.twitter.com/k6kTUS0f4b
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) October 9, 2025
McDaniels was just 0.1 blocks away from being a 1-1-1 player in threes/steals/blocks last year, and he did it while shooting a tidy 47.7% from the floor and 81.3% from the line. His profile is similar to that of Anunoby and Camara, but with some nice rebounding upside as he collected nearly six boards per game. He played 32 minutes a night, and his versatility on offense and tenacious defense should continue to earn him a big role on this Minnesota team this season.
P.J. Washington, SF/PF - Dallas Mavericks
- Last Season 9-CAT Per-Game Value: 103
- Current Yahoo Rank: 123
- Strongest Categories: REB, BLK, STL
Washington's value has been debated quite a bit this preseason, as his role this season could be reduced with a healthy Anthony Davis and the Mavericks bringing back Daniel Gafford to platoon at center with Dereck Lively II.
He had his best season as a fantasy player last year in Dallas, averaging 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 threes in 32 minutes. The odds of him playing that many minutes again this year are slim, but I think his versatility (he can play anywhere from small forward to center) gives him a good chance of getting on the floor for 22 to 25 minutes a night as the sixth man.
We know that Gafford and Lively never play minutes together, so they're splitting all the center minutes. Washington could then back up Davis at the four and also slide over and play some minutes at the three behind Cooper Flagg. The Mavs could also choose to slide Davis to center and play Washington alongside him and Flagg at times to get more shooting on the floor.
I'm betting on P.J. continuing his productivity this year, and even if we are only getting 70% of his production from last year, he's still well worth a pick in the late rounds.
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